Willie Basse’s The Money Grind is not groundbreaking, but damn did I have a blast listening to this collection of old-school metal. If you are a fan of Motorhead, Dio, and Deep Purple, you will find something to enjoy in this album, if not for the bands use of classic metal elements like two drummers and multiple lead guitars creating a full and deep metal sound.

“Danger Zone” sets the tone for the album with lyrics about sex and excess strong bluesy/metal vocals from Willie and solid instrumentals. There is a rather impressive guitar solo that begins at the 3:18 mark and brings the song to a close. “Guitargasm” is a two-minute long instrumental showcasing all that is great about metal. The songs gets started with a simple drum beat soon followed by a funky base line and some fancy electric work, this is one track worth checking out. “Its Over” reminds me a lot of 1980’s Aerosmith and Van Halen instrumentally speaking with a heavier and fuller sound due to the multiple lead guitars and dual drummers.

“The Money Grind” has an awesome intro guitar-heavy intro but there is this annoying pulse/beep like sound that easily distracted me and kept pissing me off because it ruined a pretty good song. The guitar solo at the four-minute mark will sing to the heart of the 80’s metal guitar purist and the distorted vocals bring a robotic/Frampton like element to the song. “You Can Have it All” is pure metal, another song with shredding metal guitars, strong drumming, and more lyrics about excessive use of drugs and tons of sex. This song is another favorite of mine and deserves a few listens. “(Love So) Far Away” is your classic metal song about a girl, but it is by no means a ballad and is more in line with a heavier love-type song like “My Michelle” by Guns N’ Roses.

“Po’ Boy” has a reggae beat reminiscent of the style incorporated into later recordings by The Clash only with a country-twang to the guitars. This song is a nice change of pace and shows that metal bands with talent can pull almost anything off, again the use of multiple guitars creates a full sound often lacking in a lot of modern metal and rock. “Yesterdaze” is another metal cliché calling back to the past and remembering the good times that were had and yearning for the good times to come. “Reasons” is another song that reminds me of track that would be used during a 1980s movie montage. The lyrics are less than poetic and lines like “Its never wrong, when it feels so right” will have you shuffling to the next track.

“Unlovable” incorporates and excellent blues/rock intro with some of the best electric guitar work on the album. Eddie’s vocals are solid but it is the instrumentals on this track that really shine through. I can’t say enough about the use of multiple guitars in creating a rich and full sound that just isn’t heard enough these days. “Avarie” is another 80s ballad about a rocker who has had more than his share of women but then meets the one woman who makes him want to exit the buffet line. This song also gives a throwback to 1950’s rock with a rather impressive sax solo that offers a classical element to the 1980s metal guitars. “Don’t Waste My Time” is easily the best track on the album. The guitars are fucking heavy as you can get, the bass lines are slick and the drumming is keeps the perfect tempo. In fact, the bass even takes the lead at times, something that really made this track stand out and will make you appreciate all the elements of good metal. The guitar solo at the 2:15 mark will leave a lasting impression on you and make you long for one of the elements that made 70s and mid 80s metals so great, the fucking bad ass guitar solo.

“Immortal” is a 5-minute instrumental and a must listen to for any heavy metal purist. The use of multiple guitars enriches the sound in a way that can’t be duplicated by your typical 3 or 4 piece band. The guitar solo at the 2:55 mark is reminiscent of something Hendrix might do (only less complex) and is backed by snares keeping the beat to provide a feeling that there is an existence after death. “You’re Not There” is a rather obscure way to end a metal album. This song has a strong soul and reggae feel to it. The bongos definitely bring a Caribbean beat to the song and provide a nice contrast to the pre-ceding 13 tracks. The vocals are more soul and R&B and show that while Willie Basse is a metal band, its influences are wide ranging and it’s not afraid to venture outside its safe zone.

Overall this solid 80’s metal album. As I stated earlier, if you enjoy the likes of Dio, Motorhead, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, and even The Ramones, you will find something to enjoy on The Money Grind. While the whole album isn’t stellar, I highly recommend you check out the instrumental track “Immortal”, which is 5-minues of heavy metal music bliss. Other key tracks are “Don’t Waste My Time” and the reggae influence “Po’ Boy.”

www.myspace.com/williebasse